UPDATED:  June 28, 2011 11:33 PM
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Dhoonya Dance Show Enthralls Packed Crowd in Washington

By: Geeta Goindi

WASHINGTON – Dhoonya Dance, the premiere Bollywood dance organization, wowed a packed audience in the Duke Ellington Theatre, situated in the upscale Georgetown area of our nation’s capital.  Putting their best foot forward, some 207 artistes, students and instructors alike, took the audience on a colorful joyride showcasing the experiences of an Indian immigrant family - how its members build a bridge to keep their rich culture and traditions alive and flourishing!

  This year, the show was called “Jhosh” which literally means passion, determination, chutzpah.  Priya Pandya, co-founder of Dhoonya Dance and managing director of the New York Chapter, told us that “every year, we have a different theme.  This year’s theme runs around the idea of the Indian-American experience” whereby we witness an immigrant family “oscillating between the two cultures, ultimately building a bridge to keep Indian traditions alive”.

  Kajal Desai, who co-founded the organization with Priya six years ago and manages the Washington area operations, explained, “what is most important about today’s show is that we were really able to connect with the audience in a way because we are telling the story of Indians who are moving to America, and their kids are being brought up here”.  The show depicts “how their experiences are different because we have the western and eastern cultures.  It just makes us stronger people.  It gives us the best of both worlds!”

  Well said for someone who herself grew up in two worlds.  “This show is very special to me because I can relate to it”, Kajal said.  “I grew up in this country, but I had very strong Indian roots”.

  Sini Jacob, manager and dance instructor for DC and Maryland, believed that “Jhosh represents the best of growing up as a second or third generation ‘Desi’.  The combination of eastern roots and western influences uniquely defines us as stronger individuals and close family.  This year’s show especially brought out the passion of all the performers because this theme was true to everyone’s hearts and experiences”.

  Jeannie Baumann, the amiable communications specialist for Dhoonya Dance, shared her own perspective with us.  “Even though I’m not Indian, as the child of an immigrant family - my Mom is Korean and my Dad is Swiss - I can still relate to the overall theme about embracing your roots while being raised and growing up here, and the sacrifices that our parents made to give us a better life”, she said.

  The show opens with a traditional wedding and all its festivities, in India.  The audience is treated to a Bollywood musical fiesta featuring songs like “Genda Phool”, “Saajan Ji Ghar Aaye” and “Maahi Ve”.

  The couple then migrate to the US, vowing to stay true to their Indian roots.  They spare no efforts to inculcate traditional values to their children, which entails taking them to India.  What follows is a vibrant and colorful segment in which the kids and the audience are mesmerized by dances from Gujarat (Garba), Rajasthan (Folk) and Punjab (Bhangra).

  “In the beginning, the kids don’t want to go”, Kajal told us.  “By the end, they were just blown away by what they saw.  They learnt to appreciate their culture”.

  Interestingly, Dhoonya Dance is predicated on this premise: to keep the Indian culture alive.

“It’s really important to stay in touch with our roots”, Kajal emphasized.  “That is what we do through our dance school as well.  We are trying to teach the students culture through dance.  It is fun to do some of the pop songs, but we make sure that we interchange it.  If you are going to do a fun pop song, next time you are doing a semi-classical song, and then a folk song.  We want to make sure that the students are versatile and they appreciate our culture”.

  While the first half of the show was traditional, the second part featured modern pieces.  “You see a lot more fusion in the next half”, said Kajal.  “We are growing up here” and our show depicts “how we fuse eastern and western dance styles”.

  A whole segment is devoted to ‘School Days’ in which fun-loving girls take the audience through slumber parties, school dances, high school crushes, rivalries and making new friends - all set to songs such as “Piya Piya” (Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega), “Oh Girl You’re Mine” (Housefull), “Bachna Ae Haseeno” (title song) and “Baari Barsi” (Band Baaja Baraat).

  “Our kids were performing about growing up, becoming their own person, because there is a lot of individuality in America that you don’t see in India”, explained Kajal.

  As a supremely talented artiste, Kajal exudes a riveting stage presence that augments her keen mastery over dance.  In her performance, one witnesses a fascinating combination of grace and unflinching agility.  On stage, she presented so many dance styles: classical, semi-classical, modern day Indo Western dances including ‘Item Numbers’ (“Munni Badnaam Hui” and “Sheila Ki Jawani”).

  The finale saw all Dhoonya Dance Performance Company members and guest performers dancing with an unwavering energy to “Dum Dum Mast Hai” (Band Baaja Baraat).

  “Jhosh” was actually the brainchild of three gifted individuals: Kajal, Sini and Palak Sheth.  When we queried Kajal about who is behind the concept of the show, she said, “A few of us together.  I have some really strong teachers and performance company members who believe in Dhoonya Dance.  We sat down together and came up with this”.

  Priya elaborated, “The show represents a culmination of everyone in the community that is a part of our company.  The students and performance company members who are performing today are all part of our professional dance company, Dhoonya Dance, or they are students that take classes with our teachers.  So, every week, they have been coming to class, rehearsing, learning about their culture, learning about Indian dance styles, and this is the end result of that”.

  Both Priya and Kajal work full-time at Dhoonya Dance which was founded in Washington in 2005.  The New York branch was established some two years ago and is growing rapidly.
“New York has a completely different feel to it”, disclosed Priya.  “It is very international as well”.

  Priya lived in Washington before she moved to New York.  Here, she met Kajal and bonded big time with her on account of their shared interest.

  “Dance is something that both of us have done since childhood”, Priya told us.  “Growing up in the US, it has been our connection to our roots.  We learnt dance, spent a lot of time in India growing up.  We didn’t know each other at that time.  We met through our mutual interest in dance”.

  Today, the Washington wing of Dhoonya Dance has over 200 students and growing!  In addition, there are drop-in classes which attract anywhere between 100 and 150 students a week.  Classes are offered almost every day in different locations: Arlington, McLean and Vienna, in VA; Washington, DC; and Rockville, MD.

  For more information, our readers can visit the web-site at www.dhoonyadance.com

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